Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sewage sludges by fenton's reagent

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of Fenton's reagent for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludges. As Fenton's reagent generates hydroxyl radicals that further oxidise pollutants in the solution, our efforts focused on finding experimental conditions that would ensure the stability of aqueous PAH solutions. The use of Teflon recipients along with the addition of a co-solvent were required to limit adsorption effects. A non ionic surfactant (Brij-35) was found to be a more suitable co-solvent instead of using an organic solvent as it minimises hydroxyl radical consumption. However it was not efficient in desorbing PAHs contained in sludge samples after 24 h contact time, even at concentrations above its critical micellar concentration. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.